This invention relates to a portable conference center mechanism.
The most common form of distributed meeting today is the conference telephone call. Such mechanisms allow people to meet in several distant locations and interact in a real time fashion. There are however some severe limitations with such systems. Most importantly, there is no visual imagery. It is often difficult to keep track of voices and names without being able to see the faces. It is often difficult to understand what is being discussed without access to some visual cues, such as slide presentations and/or whiteboard activities.
Traditional video conferencing systems address some of these limitations. However, traditional video conferencing systems are large, expensive systems, often requiring a dedicated room. Such systems are usually quite complex, with thick instruction manuals, often further requiring trained personnel to maintain and setup for specific conferences.
There are inexpensive video cameras developed interface to a computer and with a microphone interfaced to that computer, can provide limited video conferencing capability. Such systems components have a number of limitations and problems associated with them. First, they are not a complete system solution to the video conferencing requirements. Significant software must be provided to integrate, synchronize and compress the audio and video generated locally with the rest the audio-video streams generated elsewhere. It is questionable whether an unaided computer can actually compress the audio-video stream quickly enough to keep it real time, with high enough visual resolution and audio noise suppression, to provide viable support at the available bandwidth. Often the cameras being used today lack the depth of field and resolution necessary to discern facial expressions of more than one person at a time. What is needed is an inexpensive, self-contained audio-visual support device complete with compression capabilities which can interface to existing computers to support portable audio-video conferencing.
Many business meetings require intensive use of whiteboards or some other writing device, such as flip chart or paper pads. Traditional video conferencing systems do not capture whiteboard contents well. The video conference system camera aimed at a whiteboard encounters a highly reflective surface. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to adjust the contrast and brightness to effectively capture the whiteboard contents within the time constraints of the meeting. While there are some less reflective whiteboards which are made for use with traditional video conferencing cameras, they are expensive and not considered a portable solution.
There are some whiteboard conference solutions able to accurately capture whiteboard activities. Some of these solutions are considered portable, employing technologies such as resistive touch screens. However, such systems are at the limits of what can be considered portable, with a 60 cm by 90 cm whiteboard weighing close to 10 kilograms, and with carrying case, often approaching 15 kilograms.
There is one known flexible, roll-able resistive touch screen whiteboard available. It rolls up into a carrying tube that also carries the collapsible stand that the screen is stretched over during use. It is expensive, with increasing cost as the display area becomes larger. The portability is further negatively impacted as the weight grows with the display area.
There are often situations where a projected window of a computer would be quite useful in a video conference. Such situations include meetings where substantial amounts of detail must be reviewed and possibly modified. Engineering review meetings would often benefit from the ability to project schematics and other technical drawings onto a large display device and then be able to affect such drawings as one would with a standard pointing device, such as a mouse. Such meetings often need to take place in the video conference setting and are today quite cumbersome, lacking a straightforward, portable mechanism for local and distributed presentation and pointing.
Similarly, graphically oriented manipulation of presentations and other material in a marketing, sales, or publication setting is also inhibited by the lack of interactivity with remote participants being unable to manipulate these often large, computer based materials.
What is needed is a truly portable conference center, able to fit into a compartment of a typical portable computer carrying case and provide not only excellent white board capture and transference, but also provide the capturing and transference of both quality audio and video by the portable conference center users.
What is further needed is a truly portable conference center, able to interface with existing whiteboards and computers, requiring the minimum of user interaction to calibrate and setup for a conference session.
What is further needed is a truly portable conference center which provides a uniformity of service ranging from the small location meeting, to distributed meetings within a LAN, to distributed meetings within a WAN, to meetings distributed across them Internet.
What is further needed is a truly portable conference center, able to support a projected computer pointing device.
Various aspects of this invention address all the above problems, needs and limitations of the prior art.
One aspect of the invention includes a portable video conference module supporting a network-based video conference comprising a processor, a video camera, and audio input device and several interfaces coupled to the processor. The processor includes a local instruction processor accessing a local non-volatile memory. The interfaces include a wireless data capture interface, a video display interface, an audio output interface and a network interface. The portable video conference module weighs less than about 3 KG.
The light weight and flexible interfaces advantageously permit a wide variety of display, projection and audio output equipment to be supported. The built-in video camera and audio input device advantageously provide the two critical input devices optimized for the video conference application. Networks as used herein refer not only to LANs, WANs, and the Internet, but also include any communication scheme involving a network interface. Network interfaces include but are not limited to LAN interfaces and modems.
The local instruction processor executes program code segments residing in the local non-volatile memory. A segment initializes a local audio video data stream of the video conference. Another segment repeatedly receives from the network interface an external audio-video stream to create a received video stream presented to the video display interface and to create a received audio stream presented to the audio output interface. Another segment receives a local video stream from the video camera and a local audio stream from the audio input device and receives the wireless data capture state from the wireless data capture interface to create a local audio video data stream. A segment sends the local audio video data stream to the network interface.
Program code segments may be advantageously implemented as threads in a real-time operating system in a microprocessor or embedded processor acting as the local instruction processor. Program code segments may also be advantageously implemented as event driven concurrent objects.
These program code segments are distinct in activity, structure and requirements from the other program code segments. It is advantageous to minimize user initialization and setup of the local audio video data stream. Organizing a program code segment to create the local audio video data stream and another program code segment to send the local audio video data stream across the network interface is an advantageous partitioning in terms of both creating the local audio video data stream and the transmission of that stream elsewhere. A separate program code segment receiving the external audio-video stream and creating a received audio stream and a received video stream to be presented to the audio output interface and video display interface respectively is also advantageous.
The wireless data capture interface can be coupled to a portable wireless interface supporting accurate real-time capture of writing or erasing from any writing surface, including a whiteboard, easel or paper. The wireless data capture interface supporting capture of writing from existing whiteboards is very advantageous, as this is a major problem in general. It is also advantageous in providing a significant improvement to existing portable electronic whiteboards, which require the use of a separate whiteboard but also require many times the weight to be transported. Portable electronic whiteboards also fail to provide video cameras and optimal microphones supporting the other primary functions of such meetings, which are needed to share the sights and sounds of distant people spontaneously communicating.
A wireless data capture device can also be coupled with computer projection systems to provide a virtual pointing device in such video conference environments. This advantageously allows distant participants to interact with computation objects such as computer aided design databases as well as other databases and documents.
Another embodiment acts as an add-on module coupled to a computer via a module interface. The computer includes a display device and an audio output device. The module interface is used to send the received video stream to the computer display device and to send the received audio stream to the computer audio output device. This advantageously supports a low cost add-on to existing computers, making video conferencing a much more widely available capability. It advantageously makes possible the use of video conferencing by many more people and groups than today. It does not require a dedicated room, lots of space to store, or weigh much when transported.
A further embodiment supports use of an external network interface on the computer to perform the communication of the network interface through the module interface to the computer external network interface. This further advantageously reduces the cost of the portable video conference module whenever someone already owns a computer with an adequate network interface.
Another further embodiment includes a mechanical attachment able to mechanically attach the portable video conference center with module interface to the computer. This advantageously provides a convenient mounting platform for the portable video conference center on the computer.
Another embodiment includes a standard computer interface in the module interface to a computer. Further embodiments include that standard computer interface being a PCMCIA or USB interface. Note that PCMCIA and PCM are two compatible versions of the same standard computer interface.
Standard computer interfaces employed to provide the module interface are advantageous in providing a low cost, well tested mechanism for interfacing the portable video conference center to the computer.
Another embodiment further includes a compression accelerator coupled to the local instruction processor. A further embodiment occurs when the video camera coupled to the local instruction processor further includes the video camera coupled to the compression accelerator. These embodiments advantageously provide increased capability to improve the transmission bandwidth required for a video stream of a given quality level.
Another embodiment further includes video display ram coupled to the video display interface. Another embodiment further includes a decompression accelerator coupled to the local instruction processor. Further embodiments include the coupling of local instruction processor to the video display interface further includes coupling the decompression accelerator to the video display interface. A further embodiment includes the decompression accelerator coupled to video display ram. These embodiments advantageously provide increased capability to improve the reception bandwidth required for a video stream of a given quality.
Another embodiment of the invention further includes a video display coupled to the video display interface. This advantageously permits the video display to be optimized for the task of presenting the video conference. A further embodiment includes a selector device. A further embodiment includes the video display being a flat panel display. A further embodiment includes the selector device including a touch sensitive panel integrated with the video display. These embodiments further advantageously improve the user interface of the invention.
A further embodiment includes the module weighing less than about 2.5 KG. A further embodiment includes the module weighing less than about 2 KG. A further embodiment includes the module weighing less than about 1.5 KG. A further embodiment includes the module weighing less than about 1 KG. A further embodiment includes the module weighing less than about 0.5 KG. Each of these embodiments provides a significant advantage over its predecessor by reducing the total transported weight for a video conference.
Embodiments include the network interface supporting a wireline physical transport layer or a wireless physical transport layer. Another embodiment includes the network interface supporting ATM. ATM network support is a widely used and increasingly common communications technology providing a significant increase in delivered bandwidth to applications such as the portable conference center. Note that versions of ATM are found with both wireless and wireline physical transport layers.
Another embodiment includes the network interface supporting a multi-channel access protocol. Multi-channel access protocols advantageously provide greater optimization of delivered bandwidth in a variety of situations. A further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting frequency modulation. Another further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting time division. Another further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting wavelet mechanisms. Another further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting spread spectrum mechanisms. A further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting broadband spread spectrum. Another further embodiment includes the multi-channel access protocol supporting DSL. These various multi-access protocols and protocol components provide central tools to optimize the delivery of bandwidth to distributed users of the portable video conference.
Another embodiment includes software using the network interface supporting the TCPIP protocol. Support of the TCPIP protocol opens the door to network access in many systems. A further embodiment includes software using the network interface supporting Internet access. Support of Internet access advantageously supports interacting with the vast majority of networks in the world. A further embodiment includes software supporting the World Wide Web. Support of the World Wide Web is also advantageous in providing a user friendly interface to network access which is well understood by most people likely to use a portable video conference. Another further embodiment includes software using the network interface supporting the Wireless Application Protocol. The Wireless Application Protocol advantageously supports the Internet and World Wide Web delivered in a wireless physical transport layer.
Another embodiment includes the audio output interface supporting a digital protocol. Digital audio protocols do not exhibit signal degradation over long lines. Another embodiment includes the audio output interface supporting an analog protocol. External audio output devices commonly support analog audio protocols. Another embodiment includes an audio output device coupled to the audio output interface. A built-in audio output device is advantageous in reducing the amount of external hardware which must be interfaced to make a video conference.
Another embodiment includes the wireless data capture interface supporting a wireline physical transport layer to couple to a wireless data capture device. Another embodiment includes the wireless data capture interface supporting a wireless physical transport layer to couple to a wireless data capture device. A further embodiment includes the wireless data capture interface wireless physical transport layer interacting in the infrared spectrum. Another further embodiment includes the wireless data capture interface wireless physical transport layer interacting in the radio spectrum. A further embodiment includes the wireless data capture interface wireless physical transport layer employing at least part of the Bluetooth communications protocol. These embodiments advantageously minimize the wiring which users must contend with in setting up a video conference.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.